Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said Rishabh Pant has the ability to become the world’s best Test batter but urged the wicketkeeper-batter to take greater responsibility after getting set at the crease. Speaking on his YouTube channel following India’s win over Afghanistan, Ashwin said Pant’s tendency to get out after making starts remains a concern despite his exceptional talent. “I want Rishabh Pant to become the best Test batter in the world. That’s what I want,” Ashwin said. Ashwin said he has repeatedly spoken to Pant about shot selection, particularly after the left-hander works his way into strong positions. “When all the fielders are standing on the boundary, why are they there? They are there because they know you are going to hit the ball there. Test cricket is a game of cat and mouse,” he said. Referring to Pant’s dismissal after reaching 80 against Afghanistan, Ashwin said the wicketkeeper had already done the hard work of building an innings. “You got to 80. Didn’t you think, ‘I’ve come this far, let me get home’? It’s like driving 300 kilometres and then jumping off a mountain when there are only 20 kilometres left,” he said.Story continues below this ad Ashwin was equally emphatic about Pant’s batting ability, describing him as one of the most gifted Test batters in the game. “When he defends, it is like Gavaskar himself has come and batted. He has so much time. He can play any shot he wants,” Ashwin said. The former off-spinner said Test cricket is ultimately about playing percentages and choosing the option that offers the greatest chance of success. “When fielders are stationed on the boundary and you still try to clear them, that is not playing percentages,” he said.Story continues below this ad Ashwin cited previous examples from Johannesburg and Chennai, saying Pant had at times missed opportunities to take greater responsibility despite being in positions to influence the outcome of matches. Recalling the Test in Chennai against England, Ashwin said Pant was batting in the 90s with boundary riders spread across the field but still opted for an attacking stroke that led to his dismissal. “If he had stayed there for another 50 runs, we might have won,” Ashwin said. While acknowledging that every batter makes mistakes, Ashwin said Pant now has enough experience to put the team’s requirements ahead of impulse.Story continues below this ad “Everyone makes mistakes. But when the same mistake keeps happening after people point it out, I am not okay with that. He has played 50 Test matches now. He needs to start doing it for the team,” he said. Pant made 80 against Afghanistan before falling short of a century, prompting Ashwin to once again call on the wicketkeeper-batter to convert promising starts into match-defining innings.
R Ashwin urges Rishabh Pant to convert starts into big scores
